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Jonathan 01/25/12 |
Planning a surprise birthday party on SuperBowl Sunday evening. Looking at 13-15 people, around 7 PM, though nobody is a big football fan. Cake & fruit for dessert is already taken care of by others. I'm trying to plan out the rest of the evening with no party-planning experience. For a few reasons, not the least of logistics required to keep it a surprise, the main dishes will have to be prepared by noon and then reheated, and any appetizers warmed/cooked, after 6 PM. Do you have any suggestions for appetizers, perhaps from Costco or Trader Joe's? I'm thinking of a variety of chips & a vegetable platter and dips, mini quiches, and mozzarella & zucchini sticks. For the main dishes, I'm thinking of a half (or full?) tray of chicken parm, a half tray of cavatelli and broccoli and a half tray of roasted potatoes, along with fresh garlic bread. (Do I need more than three half trays for 13-15 people? The local Italian restaurant says they are 8-12 servings each.) Thanks in advance! |
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ellen 01/26/12 |
Jonathan, are these fairly adventurous eaters? For example, would they enjoy a Mediterranean platter with stuffed grape leaves, olives, feta and pepperoncini? Write back. |
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Jonathan 01/26/12 |
Some might but probably not all. (Some are semi-Kosher too so no pepperoni or any pork products.) And to add to my questions... Any advice on reheating the food? To keep the surprise, I only get from 6-7 to do any last minute prep, appetizer setup, etc. I can use some of the guests to do some final stuff -- its not formal -- and the surprise is a few minutes after 7. Of course, dinner wouldn't be right at 7 so I think there is enough time if its planned right. |
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Jonathan 01/26/12 |
Misread pepperoncini as pepperoni so the pork part doesn't apply though it is still a little too adventurous for some of the guests. |